Enjoying some solitude with Simon and Shawnee
The views kept getting better and better. As soon as we broke out of the woods, and got above timberline, high peaks appeared in almost every direction. I felt like breaking out into song. “Climb Every Mountain” seemed appropriate as we walked along the tundra, the large expanses of green bordering the trail on both sides. Wildflowers were popping out as well — a sprig of red here, a pop of purple there, with a dash of yellow appearing every so often, creating a colorful display.
I stopped periodically just to take it all in, capturing the scene with my camera. This is why I moved to the mountains, to be able to enjoy the splendor and majesty of the Rocky Mountains within a few minutes drive from our home in Nederland. The peace and quiet of our hiking solitude enveloped me as we made our way even higher towards the pass. With all the craziness that goes on in the world, people rushing here and there to work harder and harder, traffic jams of people in their cars, as they commute back and forth to work, the natural world has become my refuge.
The strange thing is that many of my friends shied away from going for a hike that day, because the day was supposed to be one of the busiest of the summer. Fourth of July holiday notoriously draws people to the mountains in droves. The weather is at its hottest, and many people have a 3-day weekend. Drive to Rocky Mountain National Park and you’ll be greeted by lines of cars waiting to get through the entrance gate, and no parking available along the popular Bear Lake Road.
But after years of working and living in and near some of America’s most sought after national parks and wilderness areas, I’ve discovered a little secret. While Americans might crave the outdoors, most don’t want to earn those scenic views. Take any trail on any given weekend, and once you get beyond about 1.5 miles from the trail head, the people disappear. Suddenly, it will feel like a week day in November, and you’ll be surprised how few you will encounter.
I’ve gone hiking on Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends in Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, Rocky Mountain, as well as Desolation Wilderness in Lake Tahoe and the Indian Peaks Wilderness here near Nederland. Walk two miles in any direction from the closest parking area, and most of the people are gone. This year was no different, when we decided to tackle Mt. Flora off of Berthoud Pass, a mere hour outside of Denver. Sum total of people we saw after that first half-mile — six hearty souls.
One of the funniest stories I ever heard from my Park Ranger friends was in Sequoia National Park. A long time ranger there described an odd phone call he’d had with a visitor, someone wanting to visit the park for the first time. She asked about things to do while visiting the park. He suggested to her she could hike the sequoia grove, walk up to the top of Moro Rock, take a stroll around Crescent Meadow. But, she lamented, “she didn’t want to have to leave her car.” After more conversation, and her resisting his suggestions, he hung up the phone, the visitor having concluded that “there really wasn’t anything for her to see at Sequoia National Park.”
Don’t let the holidays or weekends scare you away from enjoying all the beauty this amazing state has to offer. Because I promise you this, despite how long it may take you to park, stick it out through those first two miles, and you will get all the solitude, peace and quiet you desire.
